This book provides a practical guide to applying soft-computing methods to interpret geophysical data. It discusses the design of neural networks with Matlab for geophysical data, as well as fuzzy logic and neuro-fuzzy concepts and their applications. In addition, it describes genetic algorithms for the automatic and/or intelligent processing and interpretation of geophysical data.

Intertidal Deposits: River Mouths, Tidal Flats, and Coastal Lagoons combines the authors personal and professional experience with the mass of available literature to present a cohesive overview of intertidal deposits and the widely diverse conditions of their formation worldwide. This includes the strong influence of water movements, climate, sediment particle characteristics, vegetation, fauna, and man. Intertidal areas are important for many reasons both scientifically and economically and recently, a growing concern for conservation of these fragile regions strives to preserve and protect their natural balance. This book, written by an international expert in the field, concentrates on the more important intertidal areas distinguished by size and morphology, tidal range, the degree and type of vegetational cover, the amount and type of benthic fauna, the extent of human exploitation, and the degree of previous study.

Genetic engineering suggests new avenues for constructing useful products, but it also poses hazards to the health of the environment and the public. Delineating those hazards is complicated, difficult, and important at every level of risk assessment and risk management decision-making. Risk assessment and risk management may be further complicated by the need to discover more detailed information than is usually available. Genetically Engineered Organisms: Assessing Environmental and Human Health Effects gives credence to good science and to the notion that we do not have to argue about the ecological and human health effects of genetic engineering. Instead, it supports the position that we can undertake the painstaking science necessary to identify and understand those effects. Written by researchers who have done cutting edge research in disciplines such as botany, entomology, plant pathology, and other agricultural and environmental sciences, this book elaborates critical research on pollen movement, spread of transgenes in natural communities, fitness effects, resistance development, and unpredicted impacts on target and non-target organisms. These topics are explored in contexts ranging from Bt corn events and viral resistant oats to transgenic salmon and altered malarial vectors. Many chapters address theoretical and informational gaps that research presents to questions of biosafety, and some offer historical insights into factors that may affect risk assessment and risk management decision-making at the community, national, and international levels.

Originally published in 1983, Interpretations of Calamity provides a provocative critique of the 'dominant view' of research into natural hazards. Throughout the world, there are now many people professionally engaged in the mitigation and control of risks & hazards, and the impact of continuing economic development will ensure that they are fully employed. There is a wealth of perspectives in the book, including weather and wheat yields in the Soviet Union and Canada, an historical view of underdevelopment and hazards in Ireland and the impact of a response to drought in southern Africa, the Sahel and the Great Plains of the USA. The book reflects the major themes of hazards in the context of economic development and social change. Most of the case studies are from the rural and agriculture scene. This book provides a unique view of the vital importance of food production and of the considerable, and sometimes calamitous, impact that frost, flood, storm and drought have on the wellbeing of millions of people and on the stability of the international economic system.

Consisting of papers that have appeared recently in International Geology Review, Middle American Terranes, Potential Correlatives, and Orogenic Processes focuses on Middle American terranes in which tectonic processes, including flat-slab subduction, for orogenic development are examined at various times since the late Mesoproterozoic: at 1 Ga, through the Paleozoic, and into the Cenozoic. Many papers relate the evolution of the Middle American terranes over the past billion years to global scale events, and a second theme running through the book relates to the supercontinents, Rodinia and Pangea, the geometry of their amalgamation and breakup, and the processes responsible. Highlights include: * An update on the geographic record, tectonic setting, and provenance of these terranes * Documentation of allocthonous nature and position peripheral to Amazonia of the ~1 Ga basement of southern Mexico * Data demonstrating that the basement rocks were involved in several Phanerozoic tectonic events * An examination of new evidence of a Late Paleozoic event associated with the amalgamation of Pangea overprinting the ~1 Ga basement and the Paleozoic units lying chiefly to the west and south of it * An exploration of the following potential correlatives: (1) events in Europe on the northern margin of Gondwana; (2) the Late Silurian-Devonian Acadian orogeny in the Appalachian, which is inferred to have resulted from flat-slab subduction related to overriding a plume; and (3) Mesozoic-Cenozoic events along the western margin of Laurentia * A discussion of possible mechanisms for the initiation of orogeny, flat-slab subduction in the Laramide orogeny, and hypotheses relating to the amalgamation and breakup of supercontine

Building on the success of T.J.T. Spanos's previous book The Thermophysics of Porous Media, The Physics of Composite and Porous Media explains non-linear field theory that describes how physical processes occur in the earth. It describes physical processes associated with the interaction of the various phases at the macroscale (the scale at which continuum equations are established) and how these interactions give rise to additional physical processes at the megascale (the scale orders of magnitude larger at which a continuum description may once again be established). Details are also given on how experimental, numerical and theoretical work on this subject fits together. This book will be of interest to graduate students and academic researchers working on understanding the physical process in the earth, in addition to those working in the oil and hydrogeology industries.

A wide-ranging compilation of techniques, Extrapolation Practice for Ecotoxicological Effect Characterization of Chemicals describes methods of extrapolation in the framework of ecological risk assessment. The book, informally known as EXPECT, identifies data needs and situations where these extrapolations can be most usefully applied, making it a practical guide to the application of extrapolation procedures. It focuses on the extrapolation of chemical effects and covers the extrapolation of exposures in the context of interactions between toxicants and the matrix.

COLORADO’S HOT SPRINGS is an entertaining, comprehensive guide to the state's sweet soaking sites and their histories. This all new, up-to-date guide profiles forty-four hot springs, providing descriptions, contact information, directions, maps, photographs, and historical notes. The photographs capture each spring's unique character and beauty. Each chapter blends descriptions of the warm water wonders with stories about the unique characters, events, and ancient use by Native Americans. The springs are Colorado's warm water ocean and Debbie visited each one, twice. One visit was announced and the other was an unannounced, anonymous visit to truth-test information and chat anonymously with visitors about their observations.

Earthquakes affecting urban areas can lead to catastrophic situations and hazard mitigation requires preparatory measures at all levels. Structural assessment is the diagnosis of the seismic health of buildings. Assessment is the prelude to decisions about rehabilitation or even demolition. The scale of the problem in dense urban settings brings about a need for macro seismic appraisal procedures because large numbers of existing buildings do not conform to the increased requirements of new earthquake codes and specifications or have other deficiencies. It is the vulnerable buildings - liable to cause damage and loss of life - that need immediate attention and urgent appraisal in order to decide if structural rehabilitation and upgrading are feasible. Current economic, efficient and occupant-friendly rehabilitation techniques vary widely and include the application either of precast concrete panels or layers, strips and patches of fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) in strategic locations. The papers in this book, many by renowned authorities in earthquake engineering, chart new and vital directions of research and application in the assessment and rehabilitation of buildings in seismic regions. While several papers discuss the probabilistic prediction and quantification of structural damage, others present approaches related with the in-situ and occupant friendly upgrading of buildings and propose both economical and practical techniques to address the problem.

In many oceanic and atmospheric flows, the collection of trajectories of fluid elements - the Lagrangian motion - is of fundamental importance, determining the transport of fluid properties as well as basic characteristics of the flow itself. In the presence of large-scale, coherent structures, this motion can be analyzed using methods developed originally in the geometric theory of ordinary differential equations. The last two decades have seen the rapid development of this dynamical systems approach to Lagrangian transport for the analysis of engineering and geophysical fluid flows. Geophysical fluid problems presented a new set of mathematical and computational challenges for this approach; in turn, these methods have provided new perspectives on Lagrangian motion in geophysical flows. This is the first introductory textbook to describe this approach in the context of geophysical fluid dynamics. and in parallel, in an accessible style, and will serve both to introduce the necessary mathematical framework to geophysical fluid dynamicists, and to introduce an active area of geophysical fluid research to applied nonlinear dynamicists. The text is suitable for graduate and advanced undergraduate students, and will also serve as a useful reference for researchers and scientists in either field.

This book collects the papers presented at the 7th International Conference on Risk Analysis and Crisis Response (RACR-2019) held in Athens, Greece, on October 15-19, 2019. The overall theme of the seventh international conference on risk analysis and crisis response is Risk Analysis Based on Data and Crisis Response Beyond Knowledge, highlighting science and technology to improve risk analysis capabilities and to optimize crisis response strategy. This book contains primarily research articles of risk issues. Underlying topics include natural hazards and major (chemical) accidents prevention, disaster risk reduction and society resilience, information and communication technologies safety and cybersecurity, modern trends in crisis management, energy and resources security, critical infrastructure, nanotechnology safety and others. All topics include aspects of multidisciplinarity and complexity of safety in education and research. The book should be valuable to professors, engineers, officials, businessmen and graduate students in risk analysis and risk management.

These three works cover the entire field of formation evaluation, from basic concepts and theories, through standard methods used by the petroleum industry, on to new and exciting applications in environmental science and engineering, hydrogeology, and other fields. Designed to be used individually or as a set, these volumes represent the first comprehensive assessment of all exploration methodologies. No other books offer the breadth of information and range of applications available in this set. The first volume, Introduction to Geophysical Formation Evaluation, is the perfect introductory reference for environmental professionals without previous training in the field. It explains the fundamentals of geophysical exploration and analysis, illuminates the underlying theories, and offers practical guidance on how to use the available methodologies. General information on material behavior, porosity, tortuosity, permeability, cores, resistivity, radioactivity, and more provides a solid foundation for more advanced studies. The second volume, Standard Methods of Geophysical Formation Evaluation builds on the basic precepts presented in the first work but can be used alone as a self-contained reference. It covers all the petroleum-oriented standard methods which, until recently, have comprised the majority of applications of geophysical formation evaluation. It also points out non-hydrocarbon uses of petroleum methods. This volume provides complete practical information and instructions on using the standard exploration and evaluation methods. It presents comprehensive, painstakingly detailed instructions for resistivity, radiation, and acoustic methods. The third volume, Non-Hydrocarbon Methods of Geophysical Formation Evaluation, discusses uses of formation evaluation in environmental science and engineering, hydrogeology, and other fields outside the petroleum industry, and demonstrates how the standard methods can be adapted to these non-hydrocarbon purpos

Originally published in 1899, The History of Creation was the first book of its kind to apply a doctrine to the whole range of organic morphology and make use of the effect Darwin had on biological sciences during the 19th century. Haeckel looks at Darwin's reform of Descent Theory and its establishment through the doctrine of selection. He introduces Descent Theory into the systematic classification of animals and plants and finds a "natural system" on the basis of genealogy - that is, to construct hypothetical pedigrees for the various species of organisms. The book will be of interest to those studying natural history and the origins of modern scientific thought, it will appeal to researchers both in the natural sciences and in history.

This work features scientific, technical and practical information on mineral, organic and synthetic conditioners, as well as their beneficial effects on the soil's physical properties that promote optimal plant growth, maximize soil fertility, and enhance biomediation processes. It promotes the synergistic use of various agricultural technologies to manage global concerns of decreasing arable land.

This book presents the select proceedings of the Virtual Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (VCDRR 2021). It emphasizes on the role of civil engineering for a disaster-resilient society. It presents latest research in geohazards and their mitigation. Various topics covered in this book are earthquake hazard, seismic response of structures and earthquake risk. This book is a comprehensive volume on disaster risk reduction (DRR) and its management for a sustainable built environment. This book will be useful for the students, researchers, policy makers and professionals working in the area of civil engineering and earthquake engineering.

Based in extensive research in geology, atmospheric science, and paleontology, this book offers a detailed history of CO2 in the atmosphere, and an understanding of factors that have influenced changes in the past. The text illuminates the role of atmospheric CO2 in the modern carbon cycle and in the evolution of plants and animals, and addresses the future role of atmospheric CO2 and its likely effects on ecosystems.

This book follows the historical trail by which humanity has determined the shape and internal structure of the Earth. It is a story that bears on aspects of the history of science, the history of philosophy and the history of mathematics. At the heart of the narrative is the important philosophical practice of performing thought experiments - that is, the art of considering an idealized experiment in the mind. This powerful technique has been used by all the great historical practitioners of science and mathematics, and this book looks specifically at the long history of considering what would happen if an object could be dropped into a tunnel that cuts all the way through the Earth's interior. Indeed, the story begins with a historical whodunit, tracing back through the historical literature the origins of what is now a classic, textbook problem in simple harmonic motion.

The combined observational power of the multiple earth observing satellites is currently not being harnessed holistically to produce more durable societal benefits. We are not able to take complete advantage of the prolific amount of scientific output and remote sensing data that are emerging rapidly from satellite missions and convert them quickly into decision-making products for users. The current application framework we have appears to be an analog one lacking the absorption bandwidth required to handle scientific research and the voluminous (petabyte-scale) satellite data. This book will tackle this question: "How do we change this course and take full advantage of satellite observational capability for a more sustainable, happier and safer future in the coming decades?"

This guide will help you to survive and thrive during your degree and on into the workplace. Everything you do at university can be useful in your career. Packed with practical hints, study tips, short cuts, real-life examples and careers advice, the new expanded fourth edition of this book is an invaluable resource throughout your geography, earth science or environmental science studies. This book provides guidance for successful study on many topics including: Starting as a student Being an effective researcher Presenting information effectively in posters, presentations, essays and reports Time management, well-being and ethics Field and laboratory work Assessment and feedback Written in an accessible style, this guide also explains the role of the academic, and how it differs from that of a school teacher. It prepares you for the world of work by showing how the skills you learn at university today can be used in your career choice of tomorrow.

Originally published in 1899, The History of Creation was the first book of its kind to apply a doctrine to the whole range of organic morphology and make use of the effect Darwin had on biological sciences during the 19th century. Haeckel looks at Darwin's reform of Descent Theory and its establishment through the doctrine of selection. He introduces Descent Theory into the systematic classification of animals and plants and finds a "natural system" on the basis of genealogy - that is, to construct hypothetical pedigrees for the various species of organisms. The book will be of interest to those studying natural history and the origins of modern scientific thought, it will appeal to researchers both in the natural sciences and in history.

Stable isotope ratio variation in natural systems reflects the dynamics of Earth systems processes and imparts isotope labels to Earth materials. Carbon isotope ratios of atmospheric CO2 record exchange of carbon between the biosphere and the atmosphere; the incredible journeys of migrating monarchs is documented by hydrogen isotopes in their wings; and water carries an isotopic record of its source and history as it traverses the atmosphere and land surface. Through these and many other examples, improved understanding of spatio-temporal isotopic variation in Earth systems is leading to innovative new approaches to scientific problem-solving. This volume provides a comprehensive overview of the theory, methods, and applications that are enabling new disciplinary and cross-disciplinary advances through the study of "isoscapes": isotopic landscapes.

"This impressive new volume shows scientists deciphering and using the natural isotope landscapes that subtly adorn our spaceship Earth.," Brian Fry, Coastal Ecology Institute, Louisiana State University, USA

"An excellent timely must read and must-have reference book for anybody interested or engaged in applying stable isotope signatures to questions in e.g. Anthropology, Biogeochemistry, Ecology, or Forensic Science regarding chronological and spatial movement, changes, or distribution relating to animals, humans, plants, or water.," Wolfram Meier-Augenstein, Centre for Anatomy & Human Identification, University of Dundee, UK

"Natural resources are being affected by global change, but exactly where, how, and at what pace? Isoscapes provide new and remarkably precise answers.," John Hayes, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA

"This exciting volume is shaping a new landscape in environmental sciences that is utilizing the remarkable advances in isotope research to enhance and extend the capabilities of the field.," Dan Yakir, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

The budgetary squeeze of the 1990s has made it obvious that the government cannot address every possible environmental problem. Comparative risk assessment (CRA) is increasingly advanced as the means for setting realistic priorities. RFF's Center for Risk Management commissioned background papers from leading experts on CRA for a meeting with federal regulatory officials. Comparing Environmental Risks presents the revised papers of this workshop. Representing the state of the art on programmatic CRA, its methodological analyses and practical recommendations will be invaluable to government officials, independent analysts, and anyone studying environmental policy.

Part of the Fossils and Strata Series The publication, Trace Fossils in Evolutionary Palaeocology, details the session proceedings on Trace Fossils at the First International Palaeontological Congress in Sydney, Australia, held in 2002.

Trust is an important factor in risk management, affecting judgements of risk and benefit, technology acceptance and other forms of cooperation. In this book the world's leading risk researchers explore all aspects of trust as it relates to risk management and communication. The authors draw on a wide variety of disciplinary approaches and empirical case studies on topics such as mobile phone technology, well-known food accidents and crises, wetland management, smallpox vaccination, cooperative risk management of US forests and the disposal of the Brent Spar oil drilling platform. The book integrates diverse research traditions and provides new insights into the phenomenon of trust, including the factors that lead to the establishment and erosion of trust. Insightful analyses are provided for researchers and students of environmental and social science and professionals engaged in risk management and communication in both public and private sectors.